Published: February 9th, 2022
Rating: T
Writer: Daniel José Older
Penciler: David Wachter
Colourist: Giada Marchisio
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
Cover Artist: David Lopez
The synopsis;
CHAPTER V: DUST
It all comes crashing together in this finale as Emerick and Sian come face to face with mystery they’ve been hunting. Who will survive? Phase one of Star Wars: The High Republic culminates in this crashing conclusion.
The review;
Lopez’s direct cover is nothing short of explosive, quite literally, and sums up the finale of this arc perfectly. Sian and Emerick are hurtling away from the destruction of Starlight Beacon, gilded by the flames. His other variant of Sian wielding Emerick’s lightsaber just screams strong female empowerment, and she looks totally epic. Meanwhile some of the cast from Older’s The High Republic Adventures cameo on Baldeón and Silva’s variant, including fan favourite Chagrian, Buckets of Blood.
Attack on Starlight Beacon! Investigators Sian Holt and Emerick Caphtor have been tracking down the Nihil’s deadly Jedi-killing weapon, and their search has led them back to Starlight. As the Nihil marauders attempt to destroy the station, along with the Jedi aboard, Sian and Emerick must work quickly to gather clues and evacuate the Padawans. Because the creature they’ve been hunting is aboard – and there’s more than one of them.
Trail of Shadows #5 is everything a fan could hope for in an adrenaline-filled conclusion. Older takes the tension to the next level and while there’s still an element of mystery noir to the story, it also takes on full disaster movie vibes. Everything is against the clock and risks have to be taken to survive. Perhaps one of the greatest elements of this issue though is seeing the trust Emerick and Sian place in each other. The duo started out at each other’s throats yet have gone on to form an amazing friendship that is possibly even a bit more.
After arriving on a damaged Starlight Beacon, which Sian destroys further by smash-landing on, Emerick can sense the creature that’s been plaguing the Jedi. Rather than head-off into the fray alone though, Sian is determined to come along and provide any help she can. Emerick then puts his full trust in her as he edges closer and closer to the Force resilient creature. She’s there to pull him back in case he goes too far. It’s because of Sian that the pair actually manage to snag a piece of the creature for further analysis.
Finally, there’s some revelations about this mysterious creature too. Up until now fans have only known that it can kill a Jedi by calcifying one into dust, and it also causes terrifying hallucinations in Force users. Its name, or lack thereof, is revealed in Trail of Shadows #5 and that creepy children’s rhyme surprisingly comes back into play. It just goes to show that those seemingly nonsensical songs from childhood really can provide life lessons.
While gaining knowledge about the creatures is vital for hoping to one day defeat them, Emerick and Sian cannot stay and fight. Starlight is lost and they’ve come upon the Padawans who are trapped. Rushing them all back to their ship, Emerick then has a very touching scene with Buckets of Blood. This Chagrian Jedi has been a pivotal character in The High Republic Adventures, yet here we see a bit more of a serious side to him. Well, semi-serious. He disrobes (not quite fully!) to charge into battle and give the Padawans under his care the best chance of escape. A semi-naked Chagrian is definitely going to surprise the Nihil, lightsaber or not.
With everything going on in this issue, there’s so much fantastic art by Wachter to appreciate. His almost psychedelic interpretation of the Nameless creature is both terrifying and confusing, which is clearly how it is meant to appear to a reader. There’s also plenty of subtle gestures and glances between Emerick and Sian that speak more than their words, especially a certain hand-holding scene. The artwork definitely suggests some of their forbidden romance. However, the action sequences are just as incredible and all the fire, busted circuitry, and falling debris, only adds to the disaster vibe, as Starlight rapidly falls apart.
Older has created an incredible arc with these new characters and it’s a bittersweet finale for Trail of Shadows #5. While much has been learned about the Nihil and their threat, through the tireless efforts of Sian and Emerick, so much has also been lost. Hopefully fans will get to see these characters again, as their unspoken feelings for each other need to be resolved, and getting this new investigator take on the Jedi has been absolutely genius. A big round of applause needs to go to Daniel José Older, Dave Wachter, Giada Marchisio, David Lopez, Joe Sabino, and all the amazing people at Marvel comics for putting together this incredible Star Wars mystery mini-series. Here’s to more whodunnits in the future!
Availability;
Star Wars: Trail of Shadows #5 was published February 9, 2022 by Marvel Comics. This issue retails at $3.99 and is available via The Marvel App and from all good comic book stores.
